Meat Sauce for Pasta

• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 8 oz. (about 2 links) of mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cans (28 oz.) tomato sauce (Be sure to choose a brand that does NOT contain corn syrup, sugar, or other sweetners.)
• about a 1/2 c. water to rinse out tomato sauce cans
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

Pour the olive oil into a Dutch oven or large pot, and preheat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Break up the meat, but try not to move it around too much so that it can brown a bit. Allow the meat to cook until no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease.

Next add the tomato sauce. Rinse the cans with 1/4 c. water each and dump that into the pot. Add salt, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Stir the seasonings into the sauce. Turn heat to low, and allow it to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Using tongs, remove large pieces of onion and pepper... (Remove them for picky eaters; leave them in if you prefer a chunky sauce.).  Use as a substitute for any jarred spaghetti and meat sauce. Yield: approximately 6-1/2 cups.